They were and are being warned like a prayer wheel: we are talking about unscrupulous scammers who pretend to be police officers or justice officials on the phone and literally want to extract the money from the pockets of their chosen victims with outrageous lies. On Monday, two seniors in Innsbruck fell for this scam. All in all, the perpetrators managed to steal almost 200,000 euros.
Around noon, an 88-year-old woman from Innsbruck received a call on her landline phone, the caller posing as a judge and saying that the older woman’s daughter was involved in a serious traffic accident. “The woman was then asked to count all her money in the apartment and have it ready, as someone would come by in the afternoon to collect the money from her home. During the telephone conversation, the 88-year-old was able to speak to a crying woman posing as her daughter,” the researchers say.
More than 50,000 euros gone
The pensioner then complied with the caller’s request and handed over a five-figure euro amount to an unknown man in the late afternoon, who collected the money for her home. The damage amounts to more than 50,000 euros. “Moments later, the 88-year-old received a phone call from her daughter that revealed she was not involved in an accident. Eventually, the fraud was noticed and a report was made to the police,” the detectives continue.
More than 100,000 euros stolen from a safe
But that’s not all: In the afternoon, another elderly person in Innsbruck fell victim to unscrupulous fraudsters. Shortly after 3 p.m., the 77-year-old received a call from an alleged police officer who led her to believe that her daughter had caused a fatal traffic accident. An alleged lawyer then informed her that she could post bail so that her daughter would not have to be held in custody.
“In the end, the 77-year-old took a six-figure amount of cash from her safe and handed it to a male person in a bag in Innsbruck,” the “real” police explained. After the transfer, the elderly woman was asked to return home to get more money.
“When she told the alleged officer that she had no cash in the house, she was instructed to go to the county courthouse to sign something. Then she can pick up her daughter,” the management continues. Eventually, this scam also came to light. Damage in this case: more than 130,000 euros.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
